gimmesix
Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life
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I wanted to go back and take a look at the play of the starting DTs in this game, like I did with Connor Williams. I'm judging them by the roles that they play -- 3-techs need to get penetration and be disruptive; 1-techs need to occupy blockers to keep the linebackers clean and not get rooted out by double teams. Daniel Ross got the start at 3-tech in this one, while Antwan Woods started his second game at 1-tech.
I'm also going to go ahead and write down what I see from Gregory on these drives.
First drive
First and 10: On a run around the right side, Woods was single-blocked at RDT down the line by the left guard who cut him off slanting right and seemed to hold him off fairly easily. Not much push, but may have been trying to watch for the back-side cut. Ross took on the other guard after a quick double by the center and didn't get penetration either, but didn't get pushed back as he was single-blocked down the line. (DeMarcus Lawrence shot into the backfield to force the play wide to limit it to a 2-yard gain.)
Second and 8: Woods fired off at LDT and knocked the right guard back a yard or 2, which forced the running back to go wider around the right side. Ross came down the line with the center trying to push him upfield and fell on the pile. GOOD PLAY by Woods
Third and 5: Crawford was doubled by the left guard and center and didn't come close to getting pressure. Ealy was pushed wide by the other guard and got caught up with the right tackle as well. (Gregory tried to go around the left tackle, but he stayed in front of Gregory who extended an arm into his shoulder pad but didn't have time to do anything else.)
Second drive
First and 10: Ross at LDT charges to his left as Cincy's line slants that way on a reverse to the left. The center just rides him a couple yards into the backfield since the play went to the other side. It would have been decent penetration if the run went that way, but he would have been played differently. Same thing for Ross basically, the left guard lets him charge and then releases him into the backfield because the ball is already gone on the reverse, which is blown up by Heath.
Second and 13: Woods at RDT and Crawford are herded together by the two guards and center and don't get close to the QB. Both Woods and Crawford tried to go inside the guards and just were pushed into the center. (Gregory tried to charge inside the left tackle and also was pushed into the scrum on a 3-yard completion. He did run to the play and try to knock the ball away from the receiver on the turf.)
Third and 10: Crawford rushed to the inside of the right guard and got some penetration, but not enough to pressure the throw much. Ealy tried to slap away the hands to the left guard and go around him, but the center was there so Jones got no penetration. (The left tackle dropped back deep as Gregory rushed straight at him, pushed off him to go inside and collide with Crawford a couple yards short of the QB.) Lawrence was coming hard around the end so it was a fairly quick throw for 5 yards.
Third drive
First and 10: Ross and Woods at LDT both went to the right on a fake run to that side, which allowed the guards and center to push them that way on a rollout by Dalton for a completion. Woods got good penetration, but again it was allowed as part of the fake. He did try to spin off the center but the left guard whacked him to end the move.
First and 10: Woods at LDT had the center one-on-one but couldn't get off the block at the line of scrimmage as Lawrence flushed Dalton to the right. Ross ripped the right guard to gain some penetration before being shoved to the ground, but his penetration helped convince Dalton to get out of the pocket. DECENT play by Ross to collapse the middle
Second and 9: Woods at RDT is pushed to the left by the center and Crawford is too by the right guard and right tackle on a run back to the right. (Gregory goes to the outside of the left tackle and is kind of held up there watching for the back side cut before coming off the block and trying to get in on the tackle made by Lee and Heath.)
Third and 5: Crawford at RDT pushed straight upfield against the center and left guard to not get much penetration. Ealy is one-on-one against the center, who stays in front of him then rides him to the left of the pocket, which lets Dalton scramble up the middle when he can't find anyone open quickly and Gregory and Lawrence get too close. (Gregory raced around the outside of the left tackle past the pocket. He was going to have trouble making a play on Dalton because he had not gotten around the left tackle to where he could turn back and get the QB, but being behind Dalton seemed to influence the QB to run. Spears said Crawford was expecting Gregory to go underneath, which is what he was trying to set up with his move.) BAD play by Ealy to not maintain contain
First and 10: Woods at RDT knocked the center back and ended up occupying both guards, which allowed Ross to come through behind him unblocked and make the play in the backfield for a yard loss. (Crawford made the run to the left go wider when he drove the TE into the backfield.) GOOD play by Woods
Second and 11: Woods at RDT tried to run a stunt with Ross, but it was a quick pass that was gone while he barely started to loop inside. Ross temporarily occupied both blockers but the guard peeled off and would have been in position for the stunt. (It's a good thing for Dalton that it was a quick pass because Lawrence took off like a shot to the inside of the right tackle and blasted Dalton)
Third and 7: (after a false start) Ealy at LDT tried to push the right guard back and fell to the ground. Crawford tried to push the left guard back and didn't get far (but at least stayed on his feet). (Gregory attempted to go around the outside of the left tackle but was again taken beyond the pocket.) We blitzed two linebackers up the middle and Thomas got through to rush the pass, along with Lawrence.
That was it for the starters.
CONCLUSION: Although Woods was difficult to move, Cincy didn't double him much, but the Bengals also didn't run up the middle much. Ross didn't do anything noteworthy other than make a tackle because of Woods. Gregory primarily attempted to use speed to the outside and once to the inside, but didn't really counter off it so the left tackle had little problem just riding with him.
I noted a few good plays, but most of them by the DTs and Gregory were neutral at best.
I'm also going to go ahead and write down what I see from Gregory on these drives.
First drive
First and 10: On a run around the right side, Woods was single-blocked at RDT down the line by the left guard who cut him off slanting right and seemed to hold him off fairly easily. Not much push, but may have been trying to watch for the back-side cut. Ross took on the other guard after a quick double by the center and didn't get penetration either, but didn't get pushed back as he was single-blocked down the line. (DeMarcus Lawrence shot into the backfield to force the play wide to limit it to a 2-yard gain.)
Second and 8: Woods fired off at LDT and knocked the right guard back a yard or 2, which forced the running back to go wider around the right side. Ross came down the line with the center trying to push him upfield and fell on the pile. GOOD PLAY by Woods
Third and 5: Crawford was doubled by the left guard and center and didn't come close to getting pressure. Ealy was pushed wide by the other guard and got caught up with the right tackle as well. (Gregory tried to go around the left tackle, but he stayed in front of Gregory who extended an arm into his shoulder pad but didn't have time to do anything else.)
Second drive
First and 10: Ross at LDT charges to his left as Cincy's line slants that way on a reverse to the left. The center just rides him a couple yards into the backfield since the play went to the other side. It would have been decent penetration if the run went that way, but he would have been played differently. Same thing for Ross basically, the left guard lets him charge and then releases him into the backfield because the ball is already gone on the reverse, which is blown up by Heath.
Second and 13: Woods at RDT and Crawford are herded together by the two guards and center and don't get close to the QB. Both Woods and Crawford tried to go inside the guards and just were pushed into the center. (Gregory tried to charge inside the left tackle and also was pushed into the scrum on a 3-yard completion. He did run to the play and try to knock the ball away from the receiver on the turf.)
Third and 10: Crawford rushed to the inside of the right guard and got some penetration, but not enough to pressure the throw much. Ealy tried to slap away the hands to the left guard and go around him, but the center was there so Jones got no penetration. (The left tackle dropped back deep as Gregory rushed straight at him, pushed off him to go inside and collide with Crawford a couple yards short of the QB.) Lawrence was coming hard around the end so it was a fairly quick throw for 5 yards.
Third drive
First and 10: Ross and Woods at LDT both went to the right on a fake run to that side, which allowed the guards and center to push them that way on a rollout by Dalton for a completion. Woods got good penetration, but again it was allowed as part of the fake. He did try to spin off the center but the left guard whacked him to end the move.
First and 10: Woods at LDT had the center one-on-one but couldn't get off the block at the line of scrimmage as Lawrence flushed Dalton to the right. Ross ripped the right guard to gain some penetration before being shoved to the ground, but his penetration helped convince Dalton to get out of the pocket. DECENT play by Ross to collapse the middle
Second and 9: Woods at RDT is pushed to the left by the center and Crawford is too by the right guard and right tackle on a run back to the right. (Gregory goes to the outside of the left tackle and is kind of held up there watching for the back side cut before coming off the block and trying to get in on the tackle made by Lee and Heath.)
Third and 5: Crawford at RDT pushed straight upfield against the center and left guard to not get much penetration. Ealy is one-on-one against the center, who stays in front of him then rides him to the left of the pocket, which lets Dalton scramble up the middle when he can't find anyone open quickly and Gregory and Lawrence get too close. (Gregory raced around the outside of the left tackle past the pocket. He was going to have trouble making a play on Dalton because he had not gotten around the left tackle to where he could turn back and get the QB, but being behind Dalton seemed to influence the QB to run. Spears said Crawford was expecting Gregory to go underneath, which is what he was trying to set up with his move.) BAD play by Ealy to not maintain contain
First and 10: Woods at RDT knocked the center back and ended up occupying both guards, which allowed Ross to come through behind him unblocked and make the play in the backfield for a yard loss. (Crawford made the run to the left go wider when he drove the TE into the backfield.) GOOD play by Woods
Second and 11: Woods at RDT tried to run a stunt with Ross, but it was a quick pass that was gone while he barely started to loop inside. Ross temporarily occupied both blockers but the guard peeled off and would have been in position for the stunt. (It's a good thing for Dalton that it was a quick pass because Lawrence took off like a shot to the inside of the right tackle and blasted Dalton)
Third and 7: (after a false start) Ealy at LDT tried to push the right guard back and fell to the ground. Crawford tried to push the left guard back and didn't get far (but at least stayed on his feet). (Gregory attempted to go around the outside of the left tackle but was again taken beyond the pocket.) We blitzed two linebackers up the middle and Thomas got through to rush the pass, along with Lawrence.
That was it for the starters.
CONCLUSION: Although Woods was difficult to move, Cincy didn't double him much, but the Bengals also didn't run up the middle much. Ross didn't do anything noteworthy other than make a tackle because of Woods. Gregory primarily attempted to use speed to the outside and once to the inside, but didn't really counter off it so the left tackle had little problem just riding with him.
I noted a few good plays, but most of them by the DTs and Gregory were neutral at best.